Indiana University East
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Getting Started

No matter if you're a new student, a transfer student, or a returning student, you've already made one of the biggest decisions of your life by deciding to attend IU East. Whether planning your semester schedule or wondering how to approach a professor, here you'll get the help you need to have a fulfilling college experience.

New Students

Welcome to college!

Here are the first steps for new students:

Admissions
(973-8208)--The first step to starting classes is being admitted to college. Contact our Office of Admissions to get your paperwork started.
Financial Aid
(973-8206)--Many of our students receive financial aid. Application deadlines may directly affect your aid package, so contact our Office of Financial Aid to learn more.
COMPASS
Compass is a placement test for new students, administered by the Office of Admissions. You must take this test before meeting with an advisor and registering for classes. Contact our Office of Admissions to set up your Compass appointment.
New Student Orientation
Mandatory for all new students, new student orientation is where you'll take a campus tour and receive a packet of important information, as well as your IU East Bulletin. Contact the Office of Admissions to select your orientation date. New students may schedule their first advising appointments at orientation. If you have a long commute to campus (an hour or more), we will make every effort to set your advising appointment on the same day as orientation.

Recommended First Classes

The classes below should make up your first 24 credit hours. If you are attending school part time, it will take more than one year to complete these initial courses. You must enroll in your Compass-recommended classes first.

English
W001, W130, or W131
Math
M006, M007, M117, or M100 and up
Reading
EDUC X050, X151
Public Speaking
SPCH S121
Computer Literacy
often fulfilled with CSCI A110
General Education
requirements (psychology, history, geography, a lab science class, etc.)
First Year Seminar
COAS S102 *
* This is a 3 credit, elective course designed to help students transition smoothly from high school, work, or home to the university. Students will learn study skills such as note-taking and test-taking and become familiar with the many resources that IU East has to offer.

Learning Plan

Your advisor will help you develop your IU East "Learning Plan." This is a planning sheet that allows us to gather information about your interests, needs, and academic goals. Your advisor will use the Learning Plan information to ensure that you are receiving helpful, appropriate information and referrals. The Learning Plan stays in your advising file to help us record progress toward your goals at IU East.

Transfer Students

Here are the first steps for students transferring to IU East:

Admissions (973-8208)
The first step in starting classes at IU East is being admitted to the university. Contact our Office of Admissions to get your paperwork started.
Inter-campus Transfers
If you have attended another IU campus, you don't need to be re-admitted, but you do need to complete the inter-campus transfer process. Contact our Office of Student Records for more information at 973-8271.
New Student Orientation
Even though you are not new to college, IU East is a new environment for you. We think you'll find the New Student Orientation provides very helpful information: you'll have a campus tour, learn about resources at IU East, and receive an IU East Bulletin. Contact our Office of Admissions to select your orientation time.
Transcript Evaluation
If Admissions has not received a transcript from your previous school, you will complete a Transcript Request Form as part of the admissions process. Your prior course work must be evaluated by our admissions staff before your advisor will know what classes to start you with at IU East.
COMPASS
Compass is a placement test for new students, administered by the Office of Admissions. Transfer students are not typically required to take the Compass test, but your advisor may recommend that you take a portion of the test if you are unsure about your abilities. For example, if you are not transferring in any math courses, you may want to take the math section of the Compass to see what math course you place into at IU East.

Learning Plan

Your advisor will help you develop your IU East "Learning Plan." This is a planning sheet that allows us to gather information about your interests, needs, and academic goals. Your advisor will use the Learning Plan information to ensure that you are receiving helpful, appropriate information and referrals. The Learning Plan stays in your advising file to help us record progress toward your goals at IU East.

As a transfer student, your advisor will want to talk about your experiences at your previous college, and why you chose to transfer to IU East. If your official transcript has not been evaluated by Admissions, you should bring an unofficial copy of your transcript to the advising appointment. A photocopy will allow us to avoid duplicating credit you have already earned.

If you have earned more than 24 credit hours, and you know what degree program you want, you will be assigned a faculty advisor in that department as soon as possible.

Continuing Students (Already Attending IU East)

Congratulations on continuing your education! As a continuing student with under 24 credit hours , you are required to meet with your academic advisor prior to registration. Watch your mail for the Academic Advising Center Newsletter with information about registration dates and times. The earlier you contact your advisor and schedule classes, the better chance you have of getting into your preferred classes, so call early to set up an appointment.

If you have completed 24 credit hours and declared your major, you will be assigned a faculty advisor. Your academic department will contact you about advising dates and times. If you have completed 24 credit hours and remain "undeclared," you will be referred to Campus Career Center for some career exploration and decision-making exercises.

Any student can review the information by clicking on the "Forms' link to the left. Here we have placed advising check-sheets for IU East's degree and certificate programs. Information is also available on OneStart - ask your advisor to show you how to use this valuable source of information.

Choosing a Major

Visit the Campus Career Center office in Springwood Hall. They have resources available to help you focus your academic goals.

Returning Students (IU East students who have not attended for two semesters)

Welcome Back! If you have "stopped out" of school for a few semesters, you need to contact our Office of Student Records (973-8271) and ask to be "reactivated" in the IU system. In most cases, you do not need to reapply for admission to the university.

After you have been reactivated as an IU student, be sure to set up an appointment with an advisor. Degree programs, or specific degree requirements, may have changed since you last attended classes. Be sure to ask your advisor to show you the most current information about degree requirements. Let your advisor know about any changes since your previous attendance as a student--particularly if you are interested in changing degree programs.

If you have earned more than 24 credit hours, you should contact the academic division office for your degree. The division office staff can tell you the name of your academic advisor.

Academic Division/School Contact Numbers:

Behavioral and Social Sciences
973-8222, Middlefork 340
Business, Economics, Systems, and Technology
973-8343, Hayes 273
Humanities and Fine Arts
973-8219, Whitewater 280
Natural Science and Mathematics
973-8285, Whitewater 280
School of Continuing Studies (General Studies)
973-8312, Whitewater 112
School of Education
973-8224, Middlefork 340
School of Nursing
973-8213, Hayes 271
School of Public and Environmental Affairs (Criminal Justice)
973-8250, Middlefork 354
School of Social Work and Human Services
973-8535, Whitewater 266
Purdue Programs
973-8260, Middlefork 140

Probationary Students

So you had a rough semester. It can happen to any student, for a variety of reasons. At IU East, we want to help you succeed.

You have been placed on academic probation by the Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services and Dean of Students, and have received notification through the mail of your probationary status. This means that you earned less than a 2.0 grade point average for a full-time semester. For more information, see the Academic Standards section of the "Student Records" link to pages 24-25 in the IU East Bulletin.

It is critical that you work closely with your advisor this semester. If your grades do not improve, you risk academic suspension.

As a student on probation, you are required to see your assigned academic advisor in order to register. As advisors, our main goal is to help you succeed academically, and we have many tools at our disposal to help you improve your performance in the classroom. It is important to maintain contact with your advisor while you are on probation. The sooner we know about a problem, the sooner we can help you work through it.

Some ways we will try to help you succeed include:

Suspended Students

If you do not make satisfactory progress after being placed on academic probation, you will be suspended from IU East by the Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services and Dean of Students. The Vice Chancellor's Office will notify you of your suspension status via certified mail. That letter will explain your suspension and encourage you to appeal your suspension if you still wish to attend IU East.

If you decide to sit out for a semester as a suspended student, you must see the Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services and Dean of Students prior to future enrollment. Once you have re-enrolled, you will meet weekly with your academic advisor. This advisor will monitor your progress throughout the semester.

The Appeal Process

You may appeal your suspension by writing a letter to a specific faculty committee, and attending a scheduled hearing with faculty members to discuss your appeal. As academic advisors, we are available to assist you with the appeal process and help you plan for the hearing.

If you are reinstated as a student by the faculty committee, you will enroll in the courses designated by the committee, and also sign an "Academic Performance Contract" for weekly meetings with a specified advisor. This advisor will monitor your progress over the semester.

Once your GPA is above a 2.0, and you have met any other conditions set by the faculty committee, you will be removed from suspension status. You are then permitted to enroll in a full course load, in collaboration with your advisor.

For more information about probation and suspension, see the Academic Standards section of the "Student Records" link to pages 24-25 of the IU East Bulletin.

Planning Your Semester

Here are the tools you'll need to map out your next semester at IU East:

How Many Classes Should I Take?

The Big Picture

Each course you take is measured in "credit hours." Credit hours refer to the number of hours per week you are in the classroom during a 14-week semester. Most courses are 3 credit hours. For most courses, you will be in class approximately three hours per week.

To earn a degree you need to accumulate a minimum number of credit hours.

Degree Bachelor's Associate
Minimum credit hours 120 60
Approximate # of courses 40 three hour courses 20 three hour courses

Please see the IU East Bulletin for the required courses and credit hours for a specific degree program.

Course Load Recommendations

For every 1 credit hour in which you enroll, you will spend approximately two to three hours outside of class studying. Therefore, to help determine the course load most appropriate for you, use this formula:

Example for 3 credit hours (1 course)
(3 hours in class) + (6 to 9 hours study time) = 9 to 12 actual hours per week
Example for 12 credit hours (4 courses)
(12 hours in class) + (24 to 36 hours study time) = 36 to 48 actual hours per week

The course load that is best for you depends on a variety of factors, such as other commitments, study skills, time-management skills, and self-discipline. To determine the course load which is most appropriate for you, please refer to the following guidelines:

Employment obligations Course load if working
Working 40 hours per week 3--6 credit hours
Working 30 hours per week 3--9 credit hours
Working 20 hours per week 6--12 credit hours
Working less than 20 hours 12--18 credit hours

Still can't decide?

It is important to remember that there are only 24 hours in each day and only 168 hours in each week. It is common for college students to try to participate in more activities than their time allows and, as a result, perform poorly in many of the activities. Unfortunately, this poor performance often extends to school work.

We offer the following questions in a worksheet format to help you make the most of your time.

Fill in the blanks:
1. Number of hours in a week:
2. Average number of hours you sleep per NIGHT (ONE night):
3. Number of hours per WEEK for hobbies, recreation, church, and any other scheduled activities (include driving time, if appropriate):
4. Number of hours per WEEK you work and/or take care of household duties:
5. Number of hours per WEEK needed for eating, shopping/errands, watching TV, and traveling to and from school and/or work:
6. Number of courses (not credit hours) you plan to take:
7. Time needed for study (2.5 x #6):
8. The TOTAL NUMBER OF HOURS YOU USE PER WEEK:
HOURS REMAINING:

Personal Time

You've probably noticed that items like "child care" and "spending time with friends and family" aren't specified above. These are difficult areas to break down into "hours per week" for most people.

Although college can take up a large chunk of your life, remember that it is important to make time for yourself and your significant others. This sort of personal time is crucial to your success in college.

How to Talk to Faculty

Our small class sizes are ideal for faculty and student interaction. We realize, though, that talking with a faculty member can be a bit intimidating. The guidelines below appeared in a National On-Campus Report article called "Helping New Students Make the Most of Meetings With Faculty" (1993). We hope you find the information helpful.

Step 1: Make an appointment.

Step 2: Establish rapport.

Step 3: Present your concern.

Step 4: Provide background information.

Step 5: Redirect for clarification.

Step 6: Summarize resolution of the problem.

Step 7: Thank your instructor.